Finding kits that fit well is a pain in the rear. My teams skinsuits are either bibs fit well, top too small, or top fits well, bibs too big
Shoes in size 14 sucks. Used to love shimano shoes, they no longer make 14 in any of their top end shoes. Their 48 is like a US 12.5, whereas everyone else seems to be a 14
Tight single track, it’s just harder pushing a big body thru it. And when your tires are in the berm your head is hitting the tree so lean angle is sometimes limited.
Joe
Ah, you just reminded me of my major gripe about being bigger.
I have uk size 13 feet and love my Sidi MTB shoes - they’re Eagles in a size 49. Now when i look for new ones they only do the basic Sidi shoes in that size and not the really nice ones. Bummer.
So i have some Bontrager Evokes in Red but it seems that we don’t have much choice just based on the size of our feet too.
There’s a chap in the club who has normal sized feet and has a pair of shoes to match each of his many colourful bikes. Hes also an ex racer and much shorter than me. But…
I’d just like one nice pair. 
Nobody makes big wide shoes in white. What???
Constant need to fight the feeling of “oh, of course they (whoever they are) will be faster than me on any climb, they have an UNFAIR advantage of being smaller”. Just suck it up and work!
its weird for me beacuse im longer in the toruso, so i can comfortably fit on a XL Giant. but i also have a 140mm stem. I’m curious about your crank length. i switched from a 175 to a 170mm and gained more power. Im about 80% sure that was brought up on the podcast recently lol. Happy Trails Bro
I fit nice on XL a Giant advanced revolt, it does have a140mm stem but i can ride some gristle. i judt ordred a 2nd gen Canyon Grail XL… i hope i fit lol
Rider:
Male, 54, 102kg, 6’ 3”
30+ years riding mtb
MTB Instructor
I ride XL Frames, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Chromag Rootdown, 9:Zero:7 Avalanche fatbike, Kona Private Jake. Large dirt jumper
I use wide Chromag Trailmaster seat on all bikes. (Because wide hips)
I run 800mm mtb bars. (Because wide shoulders)
I use 20 or 30mm riser bars on my mtb. Better in the back and really no different on climbs. Plus I jump a lot and it help make the bike more dynamic providing a greater range of motion. This is a HUGE advantage we have. Stop trying to sit IN the bike and learn how to move the machine around for better balance and dynamic movement.
I run 30mm of spacers under my stem so I can play with the bar position in 5mm increments.
I use 20mm pedal spacers for clipless pedals to widen my Q factor, OR I am running wide flat pedals (preferred) so my feet can be wider part for added stability and leverage.
I have to run 170mm cranks on the current crop of mtb frames due to VERY low bottom brackets and I HATE them. Ok, well maybe I don’t hate them but I prefer 175mm cranks since I have long and strong legs. This gives more leverage off-road and I feels more efficient on the road bike. I feel like shorter cranks are more tiring over longer riders.
With respect to suspension, tall riders are generally heavier due to size so we are on the edge of standard suspension tuning. Generally I’d say we need to add volume spacers in the fork and shock to maintain mid-range support fo prevent the bottom bracket from wallowing too low most of the time. You can tell if you’re hitting cranks on rocks all the time. This is required for anyone over 80kg, AND for riders who have learned how to move and compress suspension for different maneuvers.
Don’t be afraid to overfork your frame +10mm. I run 160mm forks on bikes that usually have 150mm forks and it makes for way better balance and handlebar position for me. The extra 10mm is slimy between sag and touch more travel, again very useful with respect to larger range of movement.
My Instinct has a 9-position flip chip system and a short and long wheelbase chip. For the wheelbase for most riding, longer is better as it keeps tall riders more centred in the bike. The 9 position chip flip’s between 1 (DH) to 9 (XC) and I think that taller riders can benefit from steeper angles since we have more range of movement.
I run Tannus tubeless inserts and high tire pressures, 22-28psi front and 28-35psi rear depending on conditions with 2.5” Enduro tires. Soft tires do not provide enough side knob bite for rider who lean the bike a lot in corners. Harder is better. (Let you suspension handle the bumps)
Leatt clothing is very fitted (maybe get a size up) but it is all quite long in the toros and arms and legs which is nice.
Good hunting.
Back in March I switched to 170mm cranks which helped power and comfort but actually further increased the saddle-to-bar drop because of the needed adjustments to saddle height. Later this year I’m gonna try different bike geometries on a retül to see if something clicks with my fit.
I am also a size 14, I’ve had my trial and errors with cleats. 48s work but fit different depending on the shoe manufacturer. Fizik and specialized 48s have always worked for me. there are pros and cons with both Fizik’s tend to run more narrow, and specialized cater more to road riders. It goes without saying, order online, they never have our size in store.
Facts, give me an option for pancake feet lol.
My thread! I’m 6’7" (200cm) and 176lb (80kg), currently at 253w FTP and seeing some big gains from TR (Up 20w in 2 months!!). I started casually cycling (commuting on a hybrid) 2 years ago and got serious about it 8ish months ago when I bought a road bike, but only seriously started structured training recently.
There are a whole bunch of challenges to being tall and I think those challenges are even more unique to whether you’re beanpole tall like me or “big” tall. I’ve always been super thin and a “hard gainer” so it was nice to join a sport where my build was considered advantageous.
My biggest obstacles have been finding a kit and bike that fit me correctly. I currently wear Endura Pro SL Long length Bibs in Medium, Castelli Aero Race jerseys in Large, and Lake CX 332 shoes in a 48 euro. It took a LOT of research and trial and error to find stuff that fits, especially aero fit/non flappy jerseys and decent quality bibs.
The bike required hours of research and working with a bike fitter. Aside from being tall, I’m “leg tall” so finding a bike that worked with my proportions was tough. I was terrified of being told I’d have to go custom as that would have required a HUGE amount of money for someone who had never even ridden a true road bike before. However, I would up finding that the Canyon Endurace in 2XL wound up being a really good fit for me and required no part swaps out of the box, and it has been a great bike for 3500+ miles, though it did take a bit for me to get used to the aggressive position.
I hate playing basketball and I hate that question 
. Now that I’m in my 30’s I find I don’t get asked it much anymore, but it drove me up the wall in my teens and 20s.
In terms of being on the bike, as others have said I do think aero is definitely a challenge, but since I’m so thin I think I have it better than bigger guys my height. I did naively expect when I started that because my legs were so long I’d be putting down huge numbers from day 1, but that has definitely not been the case. I also really enjoy climbing, but have simply had to accept that at a weight of 80kg (and not really able to go lower) I will never excel at the hills like some smaller guys - the math just doesn’t add up.
Mountain biking and rough gravel are really not my thing either, I’ve dipped my toes in a few times but I find my high center of gravity and wider turning radius make me naturally unsuited to it. I’ve had a few nasty crashes and have pretty much settled on being a roadie (which I love, so no great loss there)
My training isn’t any different due to my height, I do the workouts and practice getting low on the trainer.
Overall, I think despite some initial difficulties getting started, my height isn’t a huge factor in my cycling now. If I start racing maybe it will become more apparent then, but currently the only thing I notice is that people really like to draft me in group rides. Overall, getting disciplined about diet, recovery, and training has been FAR more influential on my cycling than my height.
Hills use to wreck me, I got dragged into my first gravel group ride last year and had to stop mid climb and recover. I felt like such a wimp. I thought my skills would have at least helped me tough it out. I was so humbled I did the route at least a dozen times, each time getting faster and faster. If you suck at hills, just do hills until that’s not the case anymore. I can’t remember who the quote is from and I will definitely butcher it “cycling does get easier, you just get faster” happy trails my friend.
Respect to my fellow tall rider. whenever I hear about a cyclist in their 30s who is also over 2 meters, putting up respectable numbers it gives me confidence. i just recently bought the 2nd gen grail in an XL and I absolutely love it. I’m 97Kgs currently and the lowest i can get is 91Kgs. thank you for the kit recommendations. I too have started TR program and due to the insane Nebraska weather i haven’t taken my skills out doors yet. Taller riders are on the rise man. happy trails
Bont will make shoes that fit, I’m sure. I wear a US 13 and I’m a 49 in Bont. They show an off the shelf 50/14 on their site, but they also make custom shoes so I’m sure you could get whatever you need.
RedWhite bibs are prototyping longer bibs for thinner riders. I’m only 6’ and 160-165lbs but have a long torso. Currently wear a large. They’re going to make bibs with the same length of a large but waist and leg circumference of a small. I can report back once I get a pair. My issue is the legs of my bibs keep sliding up.
